Summarized from CNA
09 March 2015
SINGAPORE: The Republic is at a crossroads, given evolving demographics, the changing nature of the jobs market, and political developments elsewhere. We can choose to stay our current education path, or choose to be pioneers, “acting with boldness to embark on a major transformation”, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. “Like our Pioneers before us, we have to ask anew: Where do we want to be in the future, where are we today, and how do we make the leap?” he asked.
Mr Heng said that in the past few years, Singapore has been making a shift toward an education that focuses on values and character, with new ways of learning and expanded applied pathways. The emphasis, he said, is about “learning in every domain, anytime, anywhere for a purposeful, fulfilling life”. “This is a path that no society has charted out fully yet. Charting this new territory will require us to once again be pioneers,” he said.
In 10 years of basic education, the Education Minister said schools should equip every student with a strong foundation in literacy, numeracy and thinking skills, give every student broad exposure to a whole range of subjects and CCAs to pique their interest in various fields, in sports, arts, outdoor adventures, continue to improve on teaching, to stimulate curiosity and let every student put knowledge into action, and build in every student “deep wells of character, as mastery takes effort and perseverance.
As schools embark on Education and Career Guidance (ECG) programmes, parents can play a bigger role in shaping their children’s career, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Hawazi Daipi.
“As parents, we must have faith that when our children pursue what they are strong in, and passionate about, they will find success and fulfilment. Parents can also come together through the parents support group (PSG) network to support schools’ ECG efforts by giving students exposure to occupations beyond what their own parents are engaged in,” he said.